Display apparatus

ABSTRACT

Display apparatus for presenting data in visual form having panels provided with passages in which display elements, such as balls, are movably positioned and means for selectively moving the balls in their passages between their operative visible positions and their inoperative positions to cause the balls to form or delinate characters. The display apparatus may include a plurality of such panels connected in an endless belt and movable before an opening or window so that the data on more than one panel may be visible at a single time. The means for moving the balls may be jets of air delivered by nozzles mounted on a carriage movable relative to a panel when it is in a predetermined position.

United States Patent Woolfolk [151 3,659,366 51 May 2,1972

[ 54] DISPLAY APPARATUS Robert L Woolfolk, Dallas, Tex.

Dow Jones & Company, Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Jan. 5, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 674

Related U.S. Application Data [72] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 645,022, June 9,

1967, Pat. No. 3,487,568.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,545,459 12/1970 Phillips..239/186 X Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell AssistantExaminer-Richard Carter Attorney-Walter J. Jagmin [5 7] ABSTRACT Displayapparatus for presenting data in visual form having panels provided withpassages in which display elements, such as balls, are movablypositioned and means for selectively moving the balls in their passagesbetween their operative visible positions and their inoperativepositions to cause the balls to form or delinate characters. The displayapparatus may include a plurality of such panels connected in an endlessbelt and movable before an opening or window so that the data on morethan one panel may be visible at a single time. The means for moving theballs may be jets of air delivered by nozzles mounted on a carriagemovable relative to a panel when it is in a predetermined position.

17 Claims, 35 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 2 I972 SHEET 01 0F 15 U. lIII-I.

Robert L.Woolfo|k 4% W W X ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAY 2 I972 SHEET 02 0F 15Fig.4

} INVENTOR Robert L. Woolfolk ATTORNEY PATENTEBMAY 21912 3,659,366

SHEET 03 0F 15 i1 Wm,

INVENTOR .v Fi .l9 1 120k 9 Robert L.Woolfolk Fi g .2 ATTORNEY BY W WWPATENTEDMAY 21972. 3,659,366

sum usnr1s ATTORNEY PATENTEUMAY 2 1912 SHEET 09 [1F 15 QM mm m m V W.

Robert L.Woo|folk & a; ATTORNEY- PATENTEDMY 2 4912 SHEET 13 [1F 15INVENTOR. Robert L. Woolfolk ATTORNEYS PATENTED MY 2 I972 SHEET l 0F 15INVENTOR Robert L.Woolfolk My ATTORNEY PATENTEDHAY 2 I972 sum 15 0F 15mmm INVENTOR.

I I V an) wa Robert L.Woo|fo|k k W XW ATTORNEY DISPLAY APPARATUSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is acontinuation-in-part of copending applieation Ser. No. 645,022 filedJune 9, 1967, by Robert L. Woolfolk, now US. Pat. No. 3,487,568 grantedJan. 6, 1970.

This invention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to adisplay apparatus for visually presenting data or information.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved displayapparatus for visually displaying data which has a plurality of discreteelements mounted on panels for movement between inoperative positionswherein they are not visible to the viewer and operative positionswherein they are visible.

Another object is to provide a display apparatus having a panel providedwith a plurality of passages in which are disposed display elements,such as balls, which are movable between front or outer operativepositions at the front side of the panel wherein they are visible andrear or inner inoperative positions wherein they are not visible.

Still another object is to provide a display device wherein the balls ofa panel are held in their operative and inoperative positions bygravity. I

A further object is to provide a display apparatus wherein the balls ofa panel are movable between their operative and inoperative positions byan operator means or assembly which is movable relative to the panel andhas means for directing jets of air at selected balls to move thembetween their operative and inoperative positions as the operator meansmoves past the panel.

A still further object is to provide a display apparatus which includesa plurality of panels connected in an endless belt and forming a displayassembly movable in a close path which includes a front vertical viewportion so that the data displayed by a plurality of panels in the frontvertical portion is visible to a viewer.

Another object is to provide a display apparatus which permits thedisplay of a large amount of data at any one time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a displayapparatus including a panel having a plurality of spaced groups ofpassages, each of the groups comprising a plurality of passages arrangedin vertical columns and horizontal rows, balls movably mounted in thepassages of each group which in operative positions are adapted to formor delineate different characters, such as letters or numerals, and acarriage movable relative to the panel and having nozzles aligned withthe horizontal rows of passages for selectively delivering jets of airto the ends of the passages of each column as the nozzles movetherepast.

A further object is to provide a display apparatus wherein the carriageand'the panels have index means for permitting operation of the noulesonly when the nozzles move into alignment with the passages of eachcolumn of passages.

A still further object is to provide a display apparatus wherein thepanel assembly is movable in a closed path and wherein each of thepanels is provided with index means and the carriage is provided withsensor means for arresting movement of each panel when it moves inproper alignment with the nozzles of the carriage.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a displayapparatus for translating data received in digital fonn, as forexample,over teletype lines, into visible alphanumeric characters.

Still another object is to provide control means for controllingoperation of the carriage and its nozzles and of the display assembly orbelt of panels in accordance with the signals received over a teletypeline.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following description of certain preferredembodiments, when read with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. I is a front partly schematic view, with some parts broken away, ofa display apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical partly schematic partly sectional view taken online 2-2 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a front enlarged fragmentary view of a panel of the displayapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic, fragmentary partly sectional view, with someparts broken away, taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the display assembly or belt of panels ofthe apparatus;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partly schematic sectional view taken on lines6-6 of FIG. I;

FIG. 7 is a partly schematic perspective view of the operator means orcarriage of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. I;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the carriage of the displayapparatus;

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary partly sectional view taken on line10-10 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 1 l is a plan view of an orifice plate of the carriage;

FIG. 12 is a schematic, side view, with some parts broken away and insection, of a modified form of the display apparatus illustrated in FIG.1; 1

FIG. 13 is en enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 13-13 ofFIG. 12; I

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of a nozzle pipe of thedisplay apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13;

FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram of a control circuit for theapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 11, and for the apparatusillustrated in FIGS. 12 through 14;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of another modified formof the display apparatus takenvon line 16-16 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 17 is a partly schematic sectional view taken on line 17-17 ofFIG.16; v

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a panel of theapparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 16 ofanother modified form of the display apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged partly sectional view of one of the displayelements of the display apparatus illustrated .in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a front view of a further preferred form of display apparatusembodying the invention;

FIG. 22 is a top view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a partly sectional view, with some parts broken away, takenon line 23-23 of FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a sectional view, with some taken on line 24-24 of FIG. 23; I

FIG. 25 is an enlarged partly sectional view taken on line 25-25 of FIG.24;

FIG. 26 is a sectional view, with some parts broken away and othersremoved, taken on line 26-26 of FIG. 26;

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 27- 27 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of panels of the displayor panel assembly of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 21 through 27;

FIG. 29 is a fragmentary partly sectional view taken on line 29-29 ofFIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 20-20 of FIG. 28;

FIGS. 31A and 31B are a functional block diagram of the control circuitof the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 21 through 30;

FIG. 32 is a diagrammatic illustration of a buffer storage register ofthe control circuit illustrated in FIGS. 31A and 31B; and,

FIGS. 33A and 33B are a diagrammatic illustration of the control circuitof the motors for moving the carriage and the panel belt of theapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 21 through 32.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the display apparatus 20includes a housing 21 having a horizontal bottom parts broken away,

wall 22, a top wall 23, a rear wall 24, side walls 26 and 27, and afront wall 28. The front wall has a display aperture or window 30therein.

A light case 32 is rigidly secured to the front wall 28 about the window30. The case 32 includes side sections 35 and 36, top and bottomsections 39 and 40 which extend divergently forwardly relative to oneanother, top and bottom front sections 41 and 42 which extendconvergently rearwardly from the front edges of the top and-bottomsections, and side front sections 44 and 45v which extend inwardly fromthe side sections 35 and 36, respectively. The top and bottom sections39 and 40 may have flanges 47 and 48, respectively, which abut and arerigidly secured to the front housing wall by screws 33. The frontsections 41, 42, 44 and 45 define an aperture or window 49 which opensto the window30 of the housing.

A support frame 50 is mounted in the housing 21 and includes a pair ofvertical support plates 51 and 52, and top and bottom angle members 54and 55 which extend between the two support plates and are rigidlysecured thereto as by welding. The support plates may also have anglemembers 56 at their outer peripheral edge portions similarly securedthereto.

The peripheral angle members have flanges which abut adjacent walls ofthe housing and are secured thereto in any suitable manner,- as by'bolts57 in the case of the peripheral angle members at the upper and lowerends of the support plates and as by screws 58 (FIG. 6) in the case ofthe peripheral angle members which abut the fi-ont and rear walls. Thesupport plates have forward portions which extend forwardly through thewindow 30 of the housing and into the light case. 7

A plurality of light tubes 60 are mounted between the support plates 51and 52 in the upper portion of the light case 32. The ends of the tubes60 as disposed in the usual sockets 62 located above the lower edge ofthe top'flange 41 of the light case and below a reflector plate 63. Thelight emitted by the tubes is directed downwardly and rearwardly throughthe housing window 30. The emitted light is'of a predetermined wavelength outside the range of visible light.

-A pair of similar light tubes 64 is located between the support plates51 and 52 below the top edge of the bottom front flange of the lightcase 32. The tubes 64 are held in position by the usual sockets 65 abovean arcuate reflector plate 66. The light emitted by the tubesis directedby the plate 66 upwardly and rearwardly through the housing window.

A movable display assembly (FIGS. 3-5) is mounted between the supportplates 51 and 52 by means of a top drive shaft 76 and a bottom idlershaft 77. These shafts are carried by the plates in suitable bearings78. The display assembly 75 includes a plurality of panels 80 connectedby horizontal pivot shafts 81 in a manner to be described in greaterdetail below. A pair of sprockets 82 rigidly secured to the drive shaft76 have spaced radial arms 84 in whose outer recesses 85 are receivablethe rollers 87 mounted on the pivot shaft 81. It will be apparent thatas the drive shaft 76 is rotated in a counterclockwise manner, as viewedin FIG, 5, the engagement of the sprocket arms with the rollers 87causes the front visible portion of the display assembly (the right handportion, as viewed in this Figure) to be moved upwardly. The drive shaft76 is driven by a suitable electric motor 88 (FIG. 1) which is rigidlysecured to the support plate 51 by bolts 89. The motor 88 is preferablyof the synchronous type having a permanent magnet armature in order thatthe rotation of the drive shaft is immediately arrested when the statorwindings of the motor are disconnected from a source of alternatingcurrent. The idler shaft 77 is provided with similar sprockets 90rigidly secured thereto whose radial arms 91 are provided with recessesor sockets 92 in which the rollers 87 of the pivot shafts arereceivable. The sprockets of the drive and idler shafts are alignedvertically and inwardly of the support plates.

The panels 80 are connected by the pivot shafts 81 to'form an endlessbelt which travels in a closed path. This path has a front portion A inwhich the panels move upwardly adjacent to and past the housing window30, an upper portion B in which the panels move rearwardly, a rearportion C in which the panels move downwardly and a bottom portion D inwhich the panels move forwardly. The panels are guided in their movementnot only by the sprockets on the drive and idler shafts but also byguide rollers 94 rotatably mounted on the opposite ends of 'the pivotshafts and movably disposed in the guide recesses 95 of the supportplates. The guide recesses are of somewhat greater width than thediameter of the guide rollers. v v

Adjacent top and bottom edges of adjacent panels are provided withslots96 and tongues 97, the tongues of one panel being received in the slotsof the other. The pivot shafts 81 extend through such slots and throughbearings 98 carried by the tongues.

It will be apparent that the display assembly is guided and held in adesired path of movement by the engagement of the sprockets on the driveand idler shafts with the rollers 87 of the pivot shafts and also by theengagement of the guide rollers with the surfaces of the support platesdefining the guide recesses.

When the panels are located in the front portion A of the path ofmovement of the display assembly 75, the outer sides of all such panels,except the lowermost panel located in the path portion A, are visible toview through the windows 49 and 30 of the light case and the housing,respectively. A

Each of the panels may be formed of a planar outer member and a planarinner member 111 secured to one another in any suitable manner, as byadhesive, bonding and the like. The panels have transverse passages 112therethrough which are formed by the divergently outwardly sloping bores113,and 114 of the outer and inner panel members, respectively, so thatthe opposite portions of the passages of a panel slope downwardly andoutwardly from the middle of the panel when the panel is in the frontview portion A of the path of movement, and slope upwardly and outwardlywhen the panel is in the rear portion C of the path of movement. Theouter ends of the passages are reduced as by the lips 1 16 and 1 17 toprevent movable elements located in the passages from moving out of thepassages.

The bores 113 constitute outer portions of the passages since they openoutwardly at the outer face or surface of the path of movement of thepanels. The bores 114 constitute inner portions of the passages sincethey open inwardly relative to the path of movement of the panels.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, when a movable element 120 is ineither its outer operative position or its inner inoperative positionwithin the panel, i.e., in the outer or inner portion of a passage atthe time the panel is in the vertical por tion A of the path ofmovement, it is held in such position by gravity, and its outwardmovement in the passage is limited by alip1l6or 117.

As a panel proceeds rearwardly and upwardly and then rearwardly anddownwardly in the top portion B of the path of movement, the elementsmove due to the force of gravity first to their inner position whereintheir movement is limited by the lips 116 and then to the middle of thepassages. The elements remain in the middle of the passages during thedownward movement of the panel in the rear portion C of the path ofmovement. As the panel thereafter proceeds downwardly and forwardly andthen forwardly and upwardly, all of the elements move to their outerpositions in the passages of the panel wherein their outward movement islimited by the lips 116. The arrangement is such that as each panel ismoved to a vertical position at the bottom end of the front view portionA of itsmovement, all of the elements carried by the panel are in theirouter operative positions. lf thereafter any such element is moved, aswill be described below, inwardly in its panel passage to its innerinoperative position, it will be held in such inoperative position bygravity as long as the panel is in the front view portion of the path ofmovement.

If, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the panels are designed to displayalpha-numeric characters, the passages are arranged in longitudinallyspaced character groups G1, G2...Gn, the passages of each group beingarranged in a plurality, for example, 5, vertical columns C1-C5 and aplurality, for example, 7, rows Rl-R7.

Each panel has a bottom longitudinal slot 121 (FIG. 4) through which aportion of a reflective strip 122, secured between the two panel membersand 111, is exposed. The reflective strip may be disposed in alongitudinal recess 124 in the outer panel member 110. A similar strip125 of reflective substance is located above the passages 112 of eachpanel and is disposed in a longitudinal recess 126 in the outer panelmember 1 10. As best shown in FIG. 3, the portions of the strip 125 inalignment with the columns C1-C5 of the passages are exposed throughslots S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 in the outer panel member 110.

The reflective strip 122 is used as an index means to control thevertical positioning of each panel relative to a movable carriage (FIG.4) as the panels move successively into alignment with the carriage sothat the outer ends of the passages in the rows R1-R7 will be in properalignment with the nozzles N1-N7, respectively, of the carriage. Theportions of the reflective strip 125 exposed through the slots Sl-SS areused to control the operation of valve means associated with thenozzles. As will become more fully apparent hereinafter, the valve meanscontrol flow of gas under pressure to the nozzles as the nozzles movesuccessively into alignment with the outer ends of the passages of eachcolumn Cl-CS.

The carriage 140 is movable horizontally, in front of the lowermostpanel in the portion A of the path of movement of the panels, on a pairof slide bars 141 and 142. The slide bars 141 and 142 extend throughopenings 143 in the support plates 51 and 52, and the opposite ends ofthe slide bars are rigidly secured to suitable brackets 144 and 145,respectively. These brackets are disposed outwardly of the supportplates and are secured to the bottom housing wall 22. The movement ofthe carriage on the slide bars is controlled by the sprocket chain oneof whose ends is secured to one side of the carriage by a bolt 151 whichextends through suitable aligned apertures in one end link of thesprocket chain and the brackets 154 (FIG. 7 secured to one side of thecarriage. The other end of the chain 150 is similarly secured to theopposite side of the carriage by a bolt 155 and brackets 156.

The sprocket chain 150 extends about an idler sprocket rotatably mountedon a bracket 161 secured to the housing bottom wall 22 outwardly of thesupport plate 52. The chain 150 proceeds about a drive sprocket 163rigidly secured to a drive shaft 165 (FIG. 6) which is rotatably mountedin suitable bearings on a pair of support brackets 166 and 167. Thedrive sprocket shaft 165, and therefore, the drive sprocket 163, aredriven in a clockwise direction, FIG. 1, by a motor 170 (FIG. 6) whenthe electric clutch 171 is energized. The clutch may be of any suitabletype, for example, the type available from American PrecisionIndustries, Inc. of Buffalo, New York, under Model No. API LLCF-20, andis mounted on the bottom housing wall by a bracket 172. The clutch 171when energized causes a pulley 174 to be rigidly connected to the driveshaft. A belt 175 connects the pulley 174 to a pulley 176 on the driveshaft 177 of the motor.

The drive sprocket 165 is rotated by the motor 170 in a counterclockwisedirection, FIG. 1, when an electric clutch 180, which may be identicalto the clutch 171, is energized. Energization of the clutch 180 connectsa pulley 182 to the drive sprocket shaft. The pulley 182 is connected toa pulley 184 rigidly secured on a reversing shaft 185 by a belt 186. Thereversing shaft 185 is rotatably mounted on pillow blocks 187 and 188affixed to the mount plate 189 of the motor. A gear 190 on the reversingshaft 185 meshes with a gear 191 on the motor drive shaft 177.

It will be apparent that since the diameter of the pulley 174 is greaterthan that of the pulley 176 while the diameter of the pulley 182 issmaller than that of the pulley 184 and the diameter of the gear 190 issmaller than that of the gear 191, the shaft 165, and therefore thedrive sprocket 163, will be rotated at a slower speed in a clockwisedirection than in a counterclockwisedirectionLThus,the carriage 140 willmove from right to left, FIG. 1, at a much greater speed than it ismoved from left to right. Due to the provision of the two electricallyoperated clutches 171 and 180, the motor 170 is energized continuouslyduring the operation of the apparatus and, depending on which clutch isenergized, will move the carriage relatively slowly from left to rightand very rapidly from right to left.

An electrically operated brake 195 (FIG. 6) is mounted on the supportbracket 166 and is provided to brake or arrest the rotation of the shaft165 when the carriage 140 approaches the extreme limits of its movementto prevent the carriage from forceably engaging either of the brackets144 and 156. Similarly, an electric brake 196 (FIG. 1) is mounted on thesupport plate 52 and is provided to arrest rotation of the shaft 76, andtherefore the upward movement of the front view portion of the displayassembly, when a bottom panel thereof moves into proper alignment withthe nozzles of the carriage. The brakes 195 and 196 may be of the typecommercially available from American Precision Industries, Inc. underModel No. LLBF-20.

The panels 80 are coated with a black, light absorbing nonreflectivesubstance, or are formed of such light absorbing substance, so that thelight emitted by the light tubes 60 and 64 and impinging on the outersurfaces of the panels is absorbed. The balls or display elements,however, are of a substance which fluoresces when the light ofpredetermined wave length, for example, the so-called black light,emitted by the light tubes impinges thereon. The spherical shape ofthedisplay elements, which may be relatively small, for example,three-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, and the light contrast betweenthe balls in their outer visible positions and the panels, causes thecharacters formed or delinated by such balls to be clearly visible andthe characters so formed to be sharply defined. I

The carriage 140 may include a substantially rectangular housing 201(FIGS. 7-9) having suitable bearings 202 and 203 secured to its oppositeend walls 204 through which extend the slide bars 141 and 142,respectively. The front wall 205 of the housing may have a flange 206which telescopes over the end, top and bottom walls of the housing andis secured thereto by screws 207. The front wall has a rectangularopening 208 defined by an inwardly extending continuous flange 209having a continuous stop flange 210 at its inner edge which limitsinward movement of a manifold assembly 212 into the housing through theopening. The manifold assembly includes an orifice plate 214 having theseven vertically spaced apertures 215a-g of the nozzles, N1-N7,respectively. The nozzles Nl-N7 may be integral with the orifice plate214 and extend forwardly therefrom. The apertures 215a-g open to grooves216a-g, respectively, in the inner surface of the orifice plate whichextend to and are in communication with the passages 217a grespectively, of a valve mount plate 218. Solenoid valves 220a-g aresecured to the valve plate in any suitable manner, as by screws 221. Theoutlet ports 219a-g of the valves are aligned with and in communicationwith the valve mount ports 217a-g, respectively, and their inlet portsare open to the interior of the manifold housing 224. The manifoldhousing is also substantially rectangular in form and has a back wall224a and side walls 224b provided with an external outwardly extendingflange 226 which is adapted to engage the flange 210 of the carriagefront wall 205. The orifice and valve mount plates and the manifoldhousing are secured to the carriage front wall by bolts 227 which extendthrough aligned apertures in the orifice and mount plates and theabutting flanges of the front wall and the manifold housing. A gasket228 seals between the plates about the grooves of the orifice plate andhas slots 229a-g which are aligned with the grooves 216a-g,respectively. A second gasket 230 seals between the flange 210 and thevalve mount plate.

The valve housings are sealed to the mount plate about the passages217a-g and.219ag by a suitable sealing compound,

' nuts 238, a gasket or seal ring 239 and a washer 240. The nipple 236also extends through a suitable aperture in the rear wall 241 of thecarriage housing and is threaded in the adjacent end of an inlet elbow242. The nipple is secured to the rear wall 241 of the carriage housingby nuts 243 and washers 245. A flexible conduit 246 is secured in anysuitable manner as by fitting 247 to the other end of the elbow 242. Theflexi- In use, assuming that the carriage 140 is at its extreme lefthand position, FIG. 1, the panel A1 (FIG. 4) in the front portion of thepath of movement of the display assembly is a position wherein thenozzles N1-N7 are in horizontal alignment with the rows of passages 112.The carriage motor 170 is energized, the motor 88 is de'energized, allof the balls in the panel Al-are now in their outer from positions inthe passages 112,

' all of the solenoid valves are closed and air under pressure is bleconduit may extend through a suitable aperture in a wall of the displayhousing 21 to a source of compressed air under pressure (not shown)located externally of the display apparatus.

The front wall 205 of the carriage housing 201 has a sensor assembly 250mounted thereon. The assembly 250 includes a pair of electric lightbulbs 251 carried in suitable sockets 253 on the front wall and aphotocathode tube 255 carried in a socket 256 also secured to the frontwall. The light bulbs 251 and the photocathode tube 255 are alignedvertically, and the light bulbs direct their light convergentlyoutwardly so that each time the carriage 140 is in alignment with one ofthe slots S1-S5 (FIG. 3) of an outer panel member 80, the light from thebulbs is directed through such slot at the reflective strip 125 and isreflected back to the photocathode tube. The photocathode tube providesa column position signal to a suitable control circuit which then causesselected solenoid valves to be energized as the nozzles move intoalignment with passages 133 of the column under such slot.

A group sensor assembly 260 (FIG. 8), which includes a pair of electriclight bulbs 261 and a photocathode tube 263, is similarly secured to thefront wall 205. The photocathode tube 363 provides a voltage or signalof a control circuit each time it moves into alignment with one of theslots 81-85 of a panel 80. The group sensor assembly 260 is spaced fromthe column sensor assembly 250 a distance equal to the distance betweenthe midlines of the. adjacent slots of each group Gl-Gn of passages of apanel but is spaced therefrom a distance less than the distance betweenadjacent slots of adjacent groups. For example, if the photosensorassembly 250 is in alignment with the slot S1 of the character group G1,the group sensor assembly 260 will be aligned with the slot S2. However,when the group sensor assembly 260 is positioned in alignment with thefirst slot S1 of a group G, such as that of Group G2, FIG. 3, the columnsensor assembly 250 will be positioned between the slot S5 of group 1and the slot S1 of group 2. The column sensor assembly 250 will thus nottransmit a signal to the control circuit when the carriage is in thisposition.

The sensor assemblies 250 and 260, as will be explained in greaterdetail, cause opening of preselected valves as the nozzles move intosuccessive alignment with the five columns of each group of passages andalso provide a signal to the control circuit as the group sensorassembly moves into alignment with the first column C1 of such group.

A panel position sensor assembly 270 (FIGS. 7-9) on the carriage 140includes a pair of light bulbs or lamps 271 and a photocathode 273. Thelamps 271 and the photocathode 273 are mounted in suitable sockets 272secured to the front wall below the manifold assembly 212 and aredisposed in horizontal alignment so that light reflected from theportion of the reflective strip 122 (FIG. 3) exposed through the bottomlongitudinal slot 121 of each panel 80 will provide a signal to anappropriate control circuit. The circuit controls operation of the motor88 and the electromagnetic brake 196 to stop upward movement of eachlowermost panel in the front view portion of the path of movement of thedisplay assembly when the panel advances into proper vertical alignmentwith the noules of the carriage.

introduced into the manifold housing. As the control circuit receives adigital signal from a teletype line to cause the display apparatustodisplay data, the clutch 171 (FIG. 6) is energized by the teletypesignal, and the carriage will move from left to right. When the groupsensor assembly 260 is brought into vertical alignment with the firstcolumn of the first group G1 of the passages, the signal produced by thephotocathode tube of the group sensor assembly 260 and the lack of asignal from the photocathode tube of the column sensor assembly 250 willcause a suitable signal to be transmitted to a control circuit. Thissignal conditions the control circuit to permit a new character, eithera number or a letter, to be formed by the balls in thefirst group G1 ofpassages of the column. As'the column sensor assembly 250 and thenozzles Nl-N7 move into vertical alignment with the slot S1 of group G1,the control circuit actuates selected solenoid valves to causepreselected balls in the passages of the first column of the group to bemoved to the rear portions of the passages. The nozzles N 1-N7 aresimilarly brought into vertical alignment with the succeeding columns inthe group G1 as the carriage continues it s movement, thus directingselected balls in the passages of each column to their rearwardpositions. As the column sensor assembly moves past the last column C5of the first group those balls which have not been moved back will be intheir front visible operative positions and will delineate apredetermined alpha-numeric character.

At the time the group. sensor assembly 260 moves into alignment with thefirst column of thenext group G2, it again conditions the controlcircuit to open selected solenoid valves as the nozzles N1-N7 move pastthe columns of the group G2. During the movement of the nozzles past thecolumns, the next character is delineated or formed by the balls of thegroup G2 which have not been moved back to their rear inoperativepositions. When the characters of a particular line, as determined bythe teletype message, have all been delineated, a suitable signal istransmitted by the control circuit to de-energized the clutch 171 andsimultaneously energize the clutch 180 to cause the carriage to movefrom right to left, as viewed in FIG. 1, at a rapid speed. As thecarriage 140 approaches its extreme left position, the electric brake195 is energized, and the clutch is de-energized so that the carriage isheldstationaryThe motor 88 is energized and the brake 196 isde-energized at the time the carriage begins to move to the left tocarry the next panel A2 of the panel assembly into the lowermostposition on the front vertical portion A of the path of movement. As theslot 121 in the panel A2 moves into alignment with the panel sensorassembly 270, the assembly 270 provides a signal to the control circuitwhich causes the control circuit to de-energize the motor 88 andenergize the brake 196.

The above sequence of operations is repeated as the panel assembly ismoved sequentially as determined by the teletype signal. The informationdisplay by each panel remains in view for a considerable period of timedepending on the speed of movement of the panel assembly and the numberof panels within the area of the front view portion A of the path ofmovement. The more panels in the front view portion, the longer will bethe time the information carried by each panel will be in view for agiven speed of transmission of the teletype signals and the greater theamount of data that can be displayed at one time.

It will be apparent that if a line of data received from the teletypeline is relatively short and the carriage is returned to its left handposition before it has moved completely across a panel, the balls in thegroups of passages to the right of the

1. Apparatus for use in a display device, the apparatus comprising avertical longitudinal panel having a plurality of discrete displayelements mounted in vertical columns and horizontal rows, said displayelements being individually movable between operative and inoperativepositions by jets of gas; a carriage mounted for movement parallel tothe panel on one side thereof; moving means for moving said carriage; aplurality of vertically spaced and aligned nozzles on said carriage fordirecting jets of gas at the discrete elements of each column of thepanel as the carriage moves therepast; and individual valve means forcontrolling delivery of gas under pressure to said nozzles.
 2. Theoperator device of claim 1, wherein said moving means comprise a drivemeans, a drive shaft and transmission means between said drive means andsaid drive shaft for connecting said drive shaft to said drive means tocause rotation of the drive shaft selectively in opposite directions,said carriage being moved in one direction when said drive shaft isrotated in one direction and being moved in the opposite direction whensaid drive shaft is rotated in said second direction.
 3. The operatordevice of claim 2, wherein said transmission means includes means forcausing rotation of said drive shaft in one direction to be at a greaterspeed than the rotation thereof in the opposite direction.
 4. Theoperator device of claim 3, wherein said transmission means includes afirst clutch means for connecting said drive means to said drive shaftto cause said drive shaft to rotate in one direction and a second clutchmeans for connecting said drive means to said drive shaft for causingsaid drive shaft to rotate in said second direction.
 5. The operatordevice of claim 4, and brake means operatively associated with saiddrive shaft for arresting rotation of said drive shaft to arrestmovement of said carriage.
 6. The operator device of claim 5, and meansfor providing gas under pressure to said nozzles comprising a manifold,said valve means having inlet ports open to said manifold and outletports open to said nozzles, and means for selectively energizing saidvalve means to cause flow of gas under pressure to flow from saidmanifold to said nozzle.
 7. The operator device of claim 6, wherein saidtransmission means includes a first clutch means for connecting saiddrive means to said drive shaft to cause said drive shaft to rotate inone direction and a second clutch means for connecting said drive meansto said drive shaft for causing said drive shaft to rotate in saidsecond direction.
 8. The operator device of claim 7, and brake meansoperatively associated with said drive shaft for arresting rotation ofsaid drive shaft to arrest movement of said carriage.
 9. The operatordevice of claim 1, wherein said carriage is movable in oppositelongitudinal directions relative to said panel and said moving meansmoves said carriage in one longitudinal direction at a greater speed inthe second opposite longitudinal direction.
 10. The operator device ofclaim 9, and control means operatively associated with said moving meansand responsive to the movement of said carriage past a predeterminedlocation relative to said panel during its movement in said onedirection for causing the moving means to decrease the speed of movementof said carriage in said one direction as said carriage moves past saidlocation.
 11. The operator device of claim 10, wherein said controlmeans includes limit means for stopping movement of said carriage whensaid carriage reaches extreme longitudinal positions relative to saidpanel and reversing the direction of its movement.
 12. The operatordevice of claim 11, wherein said limit means include switch meansadjacent longitudinally opposite ends of said panel and operable by saidcarriage.
 13. The operator device of claim 12 wherein said meansresponsive to the movement of said carriage past a predeterminedlocation includes switch means operable by said carriage as it movespast said predetermined location.
 14. Apparatus for use in a displaydevice, the apparatus comprising a panel carrying a plurality ofdiscrete display elements which are individually movable betweenoperative and inoperative positions by jets of gas; a carriage mountedin spaced juxtaposition with the panel for movement relative thereto;means for producing relative movement between said carriage and saidpanel; a plurality of nozzles on said carriage for directing jets of gasat the discrete display elements of the panel; and individual valvemeans for controlling the delivery of gas under pressure to saidnozzles.
 15. The operator device of claim 14, wherein said means forproducing relative movement between said carriage and said panel causesgreater relative movement between said carriage and said panel at agreater speed in one direction of relative movement between saidcarriage and said panel then in a second opposite direction of relativemovement between said carriage and said panel.
 16. The operator deviceof claim 15, and control means operatively associated with said meansfor producing said relative movement for causing the speed of relativemovement in one direction to decrease upon a predetermined relativemovement between said carriage and said panel in said one direction. 17.The operator device of claim 16, wherein said control means includeslimit means for stopping relative movement between said carriage andsaid panel when said relative movement reaches extreme oppositelongitudinal limits.